Subject: MHAMailer062607

From: mattbib

Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007

Four days to go!

Crew Meeting
Thursday @ 7:00 PM. Please be prompt. First we'll collect Class 3 Personal Health and Medical Record Forms & MHA Health and Medical Records. Remember, BOTH forms are required. Please bring two copies of the Class 3 form so that I may maintain the troop's own files. After paperwork is taken care of, we'll break into crews and shake down our personal and crew gear. This means participants should bring their trail gear (everything listed in the Guidebook), already packed. Checked packs can be left at Silverside Church until Saturday if you wish. Participants do not need to bring their travel gear (additional items for the trip to and from MHA; this should be packed in a second bag and brought on Saturday. Troop t-shirts will be available to those who've ordered them. Crews will also need to make sure they have their crew gear pulled aside. Crew leaders will begin putting together their duty rosters (including photographer and log-keeper assignments) while adult participants review the travel arrangements. Lastly, we'll discuss participant expectations before closing the meeting.

Class 3 Personal Health and Medical Record Form & MHA Health and Medical Record
Both forms must be completed and turned in. If you do not turn these in on Thursday you will not be going on the trek and you will not be refunded your money. And PLEASE turn in two copies of the Class 3 form (with licensed medical practitioner signature).

Personal Gear
Be sure to review your Guidebooks and the MHAMailer052907. Ask any final questions regarding personal gear at this week's Crew Meeting. But please let  your crew adviser know if you intend to bring fishing gear as we need to make sure it fits into the vans, and be sure to bring money to purchase a fishing license if are going to fish.

Uniforms
Everyone will wear their troop t-shirts on Saturday. However, official uniforms (sans neckerchiefs) will be worn for arrival at Mt. Chase Lodge on Sunday and at MHA on Monday. Please pack these neatly in your "travel" pack, and at least make an attempt to keep them from wrinkling.

Electronics.
You may bring your cell phones for the ride to and from MHA, though there's really no reason to. However other electronics are not to be brought at all. Leave your MP3 and CD players and games at home, otherwise they will be confiscated and donated to the Katahdin Area Council.

Weather
As I've said, weather can be unpredictable. A quick glance at the next ten days at Baxter State Park shows highs around 70-degrees and lows as low as 50-degrees, with a chance of showers some days. Be prepared.

Saturday, June 30
The vans need to be picked up in bear at 8:00 AM; adults will discuss this on Thursday. All other participants must be at Silverside Church in your activity uniform (shorts and troop t-shirt) by 8:30 AM. Your gear should be confined to two bags, one for the trek and one for traveling to and from MHA. Please do not use backpacks or hard luggage as gear space is limited. There is one van per crew. We will leave by 9:00 AM and cash will be distributed for meals en route to MHA. We plan to arrive at Best Western Freeport by 6:00 PM.

Schedule and Emergency Phone Numbers
Our itinerary is on the MHA page of the troop website. While Scouts may bring their cell phones for the ride to and from MHA (again, though there's really no reason to), no participant will have phones on them during the trek. Links are provided on the MHA page to the sites of all of our scheduled destinations. You will find phone numbers on each of these sites which you may call in an emergency. If you call while we're on our treks be sure to leave sufficient information and a call-back number, as the base staff will need to relay the information to the crew via walkie-talkie. Again, call in the event of an emergency only.

Any final questions?
Either e-mail me or ask them during Thursday's crew meeting.

Matt Bib